us-business

Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Read More

Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Read More

Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Read More

Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Read More

United States (US) President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded an initial face-to-face meeting in Alaska late Friday, with both parties delivering mutually inconclusive statements. Trump and Putin both delivered vague promises of “progress” on multiple fronts, but initial details remain light. Now, President Trump will be pivoting to hand-delivering Russia’s peace proposals on Ukraine to both the Ukrainian and European Union government bodies. Key Putin highlights Meeting has been long overdue.Ukraine situation was one of key issues.Ukraine war is a tragedy, great pain for usAgree with trump, Ukraine security must be guaranteed.Hope Kyiv and Europe will view agreements positively.Today’s agreements should be the starting point.Trump would have prevented war in Ukraine.US bilateral trade starts growing with Trump. Key Trump highlights Many points we agreed on.Agreed on major ones, have made progress.No deal until there is a deal.Deal only when there is a deal.Will contact Zelenskiy and NATO.It’s up to them to agree.Always had fantastic relationship with Putin.I will begin making a few phone calls.Just a few points left to agree on.Some things remaining to resolve.Putin wants to see end to killing like I do.Will probably see Putin again soon.Will visit Moscow next time. Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page. If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet. FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted. The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice. Read More

The Dow Jones found new all-time highs on Friday before trimming gains. US consumer sentiment took an unexpected hit in August. Consumers are beginning to sour on economic outcomes as tariff effects begin to crop up. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) surged to record highs early on Friday, touching chart territory north of 45,250 for the first time ever. However, tepid consumer sentiment data and a looming meeting between United States (US) President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are weighing on investor sentiment to wrap up the trading week. The Dow Jones has tapped in a new all-time high of 45,277 but remains caught in congestion near the 45,000 major handle while rounding the corner into the closing bell. Fundamentals have driven most of the meaningful near-term price action as the Dow continues to drift higher following a technical bounce from the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) after chalking in the last swing low near 43,330. The 50-day EMA is now providing a technical floor near 43,885, ready to catch any short-term downturns. Read more: Donald Trump lands in Alaska ahead of Putin meeting US data hints at sustained tariff fallout US Retail Sales for July came in broadly as expected, rising 0.5% MoM while June’s figure saw an upside revision to 0.9% MoM. While up is generally considered good, US Retail Sales data is nominal, meaning the economic indicator does not differentiate whether an extra dollar spent at the checkout is due to increased spending capacity or higher prices resulting from trade taxes. The US Import Price Index rose 0.4% MoM in July, well above the flat 0.0% forecast and the previous month’s -0.1%. A rising Import Price Index implies that US importers are struggling to offset tariff costs with price discounting from exporters, a move that one would expect to occur if the US’s economic domination was forcing foreign businesses to absorb tariff costs. For that to hold true, importing costs would not only have to be falling, but they would also have to be falling globally and at a faster rate in the US than anywhere else. This overwhelmingly appears not to be happening. August’s University of Michigan (UoM) Consumer Sentiment Index fell to 58.6. Median market forecasts expected a further improvement to 62.0, but consumer concerns over employment opportunities and future income constraints from rising prices proved calculator-wielding investors wrong. The current economic conditions segment of the UoM’s survey deteriorated to 60.8, with future expectations tumbling to 57.2. 12-month consumer inflation expectations also rose to 4.9% compared to 4.5% just a month ago, and the 5-year inflation outlook also accelerated to 4.9% from 4.5%. While consumer forecasts tend to undershoot the bad times and overestimate the good, consumers are feeling the bite from unexpected (for them) increases in the cost of big-ticket durable goods as trade taxes and import tariffs begin to leak through complex supply chains. Read more stock news: The rumors were right about UnitedHealth Group stock Dow Jones 5-minute chart Dow Jones daily chart Economic Indicator Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index The Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index, released on a monthly basis by the University of Michigan, is a survey gauging sentiment among consumers in the United States. The questions cover three broad areas: personal finances, business conditions and buying conditions. The data shows a picture of whether or not consumers are willing to spend money, a key factor as consumer spending is a major driver of the US economy. The University of Michigan survey has proven to be an accurate indicator of the future course of the US economy. The survey publishes a preliminary, mid-month reading and a final print at the end of the month. Generally, a high reading is bullish for the US Dollar (USD), while a low reading is bearish. Read more. Last release: Fri Aug 15, 2025 14:00 (Prel) Frequency: Monthly Actual: 58.6 Consensus: 62 Previous: 61.7 Source: University of Michigan Consumer exuberance can translate into greater spending and faster economic growth, implying a stronger labor market and a potential pick-up in inflation, helping turn the Fed hawkish. This survey’s popularity among analysts (mentioned more frequently than CB Consumer Confidence) is justified because the data here includes interviews conducted up to a day or two before the official release, making it a timely measure of consumer mood, but foremost because it gauges consumer attitudes on financial and income situations. Actual figures beating consensus tend to be USD bullish. Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page. If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet. FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable

Government currency debasement steals your wealth and erodes your purchasing power, but there is a situation in which you can use the devaluation of our money to your advantage. If you have to pay a fine and want to make a point. That’s exactly what a Maine man did. When the city of Palermo fined Kirk Sherman $20,000 for disturbing wetlands on his waterfront property, he ponied up. But he paid the penalty using loose change. The pile of coins weighed in at over 12,000 pounds. Sherman and his partner said they approached the city before purchasing the land. “[Palermo’s Code Enforcement Officer] stated that we could do a six-foot meandering path for 100 feet, then the next into the next 200 feet we could fill in 1/10 of an acre.” However, city officials say Sherman built the road too close to a lake. Sherman said the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) told him that if he quickly remedied the situation, he wouldn’t face any penalties from the department. Sherman insists he followed the state’s instructions. “Within a day of the notification, we’d hired the people that we had were supposed to. We’d contacted DEP. We’ve done exactly everything the DEP asked us to do, and the DEP is fine with it without, they didn’t write a violation or even give a fine.” However, the municipality has the authority to pursue further disciplinary action. And city officials did just that. The Palermo select board voted to levy the fine. According to WAIBI, the city wanted “to ensure property owners on Lake Sheepscot know that they must follow codes and ordinances, even if they remediate damages once a violation has been issued.” Sherman said he didn’t feel like pursuing the issue in court, so he paid the fine and got a little payback in the process.  “I’m paying it, and I just want them to realize that they weren’t fair with us. So this is our kind of one fun way of saying, ‘Here’s your payment, good luck.’” A city official called Sherman “unprofessional” and said the city was considering charging a handling fee because somebody has to count all those coins. I reckon if they levy a fee, he can pay that in change too. Pettiness made possible by Fiat money One news reporter joked that Sherman should go into the “Pettiness Hall of Fame.” But I’ve got to give the guy props. We’ve all been hosed by the government at some point. We’ve all felt that powerlessness and frustration. Kudos to Sherman for getting a little satisfaction of his own. Ironically, his little stunt wouldn’t be possible in a world with sound money. The reason it took more than six tons of coinage to pay a $20,000 fine is that the government has made our money virtually worthless. If he had paid his fine in U.S. quarters minted before 1965, it would have taken about 80,000 coins weighing about 16,000 ounces or 1,000 pounds. That’s a lot of coins. But one-half ton pales in comparison to the 6-ton pile of metal Sherman delivered. But that was a different age. In those days, U.S. quarters were 90 percent silver. That changed under the Coinage Act signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, the U.S. Treasury removed all of the silver from dimes, quarters, and half-dollars. Instead, the government mints coins from “composites, with faces of the same alloy used in our 5-cent piece that is bonded to a core of pure copper.” You will sometimes hear coins minted before 1965 referred to as “junk silver.” In reality, we should call modern American coins junk.  Johnson promised that removing silver would have no impact on the value of U.S. coinage, asserting that “[The] Treasury has a lot of silver on hand, and it can be, and it will be used to keep the price of silver in line with its value in our present silver coin.”  You’ll be shocked to learn he was lying.  Richard Nixon told a similar fib when he severed the last tie between the U.S. dollar and gold. When he announced the closing of the gold window, Nixon said, “Let me lay to rest the bugaboo of what is called devaluation,” and promised, “Your dollar will be worth just as much as it is today.” As we all know, that’s not what happened. The dollar buys a fraction of what it did in 1971, and U.S. quarters minted after 1965 are virtually worthless. Sherman could have made things really easy by paying in gold. He could have covered his fine with 6 1-ounce gold coins. That’s real money. Instead, it looks like he gave the city a lot of pennies. Pennies are so worthless, the government doesn’t even mint them anymore. It simply became too expensive to produce them. According to the U.S. Mint, it costs 3.69 cents to mint and distribute one penny. The bottom line is that the government is destroying your money. Based on the CPI, prices have increased by over 713 percent since 1970. A penny gumball I bought when I was a kid would cost about 8.1 cents today. This is bad news for the average person who is trying to protect their hard-earned wealth. But at least you can use the government’s monetary malfeasance to make a point of your own. To receive free commentary and analysis on the gold and silver markets, click here to be added to the Money Metals news service. Money Metals Exchange and its staff do not act as personal investment advisors for any specific individual. Nor do we advocate the purchase or sale of any regulated security listed on any exchange for any specific individual. Readers and customers should be aware that, although our track record is excellent, investment markets have inherent risks and there can be no guarantee of future profits. Likewise, our past performance does not assure the same future. You are responsible for your investment decisions, and they should be made in consultation with your

Top of the 4-month channel and VAH are the last daily supports. Acceptance back above 24,052 reopens 24,542/24,846; a daily close below 23,748 risks a slide toward 23,258 → 22,955 → POC ~22,464. Daily structure (mid-term lens) Inflexion point level remains 24,052 (daily critical pivot). Two failed attempts left a supply shelf just overhead. Price is testing 23,748, which aligns with the upper rail of the 4-month rising channel and the VAH cluster—this is the market’s “do-or-continue” spot into the weekly close. Momentum: daily oscillator has rolled off overbought and is crossing lower, while the histogram is positive but narrowing—momentum needs a close back above 24,052 to re-accelerate. Scenarios Bullish continuation: Reclaim 24,052 and hold (daily close). Targets: 24,542 first, then 24,846 (next profile shelf). Validation: expanding volume on the break and a higher daily low above 23,748. Bearish pullback: Lose 23,748 on a daily close → opens a rotation to 23,258 and 22,955. A deeper magnet sits near the POC around 22,464 at the lower channel boundary. Nasdaq September Futures August 15 daily price chart Key levels (mid-term map) Break/Go: 24,052 Upside refs: 24,542 → 24,846 Decision support: 23,748 (channel/VAH confluence) Supports below: 23,258 → 22,955 → POC ~22,464 How to use it Treat 24,052 as the confirmation gate for trend extension; fade attempts below it only if daily momentum stays soft. If 23,748 breaks on a close, step down the ladder (23,258/22,955/22,464) for rotations until a new higher-low forms. Use your MacroStructure playbook to time entries on the intraday pullbacks that align with these daily triggers—no chase. The views expressed are for informational and educational purposes only and do not constitute financial advice, a recommendation, or a solicitation to buy or sell any instrument. Trading futures, options, FX, and crypto is highly speculative and involves significant risk of loss. You are solely responsible for your decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Note: All information on this page is subject to change. The use of this website constitutes acceptance of our user agreement. Please read our privacy policy and legal disclaimer. Opinions expressed at FXstreet.com are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the opinion of FXstreet.com or its management. Risk Disclosure: Trading foreign exchange on margin carries a high level of risk, and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to invest in foreign exchange you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with foreign exchange trading, and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts. Read More

Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page. If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet. FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted. The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice. Editors’ Picks EUR/USD climbs to 1.1700 after mixed US data EUR/USD preserves its bullish momentum and trades in positive territory at around 1.1700 in the American session on Friday. Mixed Retail Sales and consumer sentiment data from the US makes it difficult for the US Dollar to find demand and helps the pair hold its ground.  GBP/USD hovers above 1.3550 on renewed USD weakness GBP/USD clocks decent gains above 1.3550 and remains on track to end the second consecutive week in positive territory. The renewed US Dollar (USD) weakness following the latest batch of data releases allows the pair to strecth higher in the American session. Gold appears range bound below $3,350 Gold maintains its sidelined mood on Friday, navigating the sub-$3,350 zone per troy ounce amid further selling pressure on the US Dollar and marginal gains in US yields across the curve. Meanwhile, the precious metal is seen keeping the prudent tone ahead of the critical Trump-Putin meeting later in the day. Five reasons why Trump’s trade war is likely to escalate Buoyant markets, a resilient US economy, rising customs revenues, appeasement by trading partners and conducive politics point to further escalation in US trade tensions, already set to cut global output by an estimated 0.7pps in the medium term. Best Brokers for EUR/USD Trading SPONSORED Discover the top brokers for trading EUR/USD in 2025. Our list features brokers with competitive spreads, fast execution, and powerful platforms. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, find the right partner to navigate the dynamic Forex market. Read More

Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Read More